Currently, IEEE Ethernet Specifications 802.3 and 802.1Q specify flow control mechanisms that employ link pause and priority flow control (PFC). These flow control mechanisms are reactionary in nature. The receiving station sends a pause frame when it runs out of buffer space to receive frames. The transmitter does not have any advance notice of buffer levels so there is less time to react to congestion scenarios and buffer utilization efficiency may be decreased. This may be particularly problematic in applications that require higher performance interconnections.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art.